Somewhere over the rainbow: Pride and drag in the Navajo Nation
share
WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. — Floats and crowds decorated with rainbow flags and T-shirts reading “Diyingo ‘Adaanitsíískéés: We Are Sacred” arrived at Window Rock Tribal Park last month to kick off the Diné Pride celebration.
In front of the Window Rock Tribal Park & Veteran's Memorial — a location at the heart of the Navajo Nation capital — vendors set up tents adorned with rainbow flags to welcome the crowds. Event organizers raised the pride flag high in the sky next to the Navajo Nation flag. Supporters wearing colorful makeup walked through rainbow arches to arrive at the main venue, where a day of drag performances took place.
“You guys ready for some show?” screamed Navi Ho, the co-host and current Miss Montana Two-Spirit, into the microphone.
Bathed in the audience’s claps and cheers, Miss Page walked onto the stage. They performed an upbeat disco song that quickly warmed up the crowd, and the show reached a crescendo when Miss Page walked out of the venue to dance with a Navajo police officer guarding the show. The crowd screamed in excitement while the officer smiled from ear to ear.
The first Diné Pride took place in 2017 with only 150 attendees and 50 chairs available. In the following years, the crowd grew larger, and in 2020, the Navajo Nation Council signed a proclamation to officially recognize Diné Pride Week.
The shows feature many Indigenous performers who return year after year. Some were from nearby tribes such as Apache and Gila River Indian Nation, while others traveled were from tribes in Mexico and South America.
Despite being a government-recognized event, Navajo Pride Week still faced pushback from the community.
“We did get a lot of hate for having this event. We got a lot of threats,” said Navi Ho. “We've had them for years, but yet we're still here. Just seeing these people here today and seeing how many smiles, laughter, and wonderful times they were having, it's just amazing that this happened.”
“I think we will reach more people because it's those people that are hidden or scared to be who they are,” continued Navi Ho. “Those are the people that we want to be there and help guide and care for.”
A study in 2020 by The Trevor Project found LGBTQ+ American Indian and Alaskan Native (AIAN) young people were twice as likely to report a suicide attempt as their non-Native peers. In 2015, a report from the National Congress of American Indians found that 54% of LGBTQ+ AIAN students reported being subject to physical violence because of their sexual orientation.
“I've had many times where I met somebody at a show and then found out a year later they’re gone because of suicide,” said Navi Ho. “So when I do meet people, I try to make a connection in a way that hopefully I do meet them again. But if I don't meet them again, I want them to be happy and walk away happy.”
Navi Ho started their drag performance in 2010 and wanted a stage name that represented them culturally and was “Navajo,” so they chose “Navi Ho.”
“When I really used that name, people were mad because they thought it was very degrading and very disrespectful to the name. And I said, well, I am Navajo. How is it disrespectful if I'm trying to elevate who I am as a Native American Navajo person?” said Navi Ho.
Besides the name, Navi Ho also incorporates other Indigenous elements into their drag performance, such as clothing, music and sometimes even gestures they picked up from watching their female family members.
Outside of the stage, they also engage with many other tribal pride communities and actively push the visibility of Indigenous LGBTQ+ on and offline.
In 2023, Navi Ho competed in the Miss Montana Two Spirit pageant — they won the title.
“In the Navajo teachings, there are five genders, and one of the genders is called the Two Spirit,” explained Navi Ho. “It's basically an umbrella term of having both essences of the male and the female spirit.”
At a recent Miss Montana Two Spirit gathering, Navi Ho learned that once Two Spirits are invited back to their communities, they bring peace and harmony throughout all tribal lands.
Traditionally, Two Spirits were held in high regard within the community. They were the medicine person, the hunter, the cook and the one others reached out to when they needed help.
“I feel that resonates with me because I always felt there's something inside of me that needs to either teach somebody or I need to be there to help somebody in some way,” said Navi Ho.
They graduated from Arizona State University with a degree in psychology and hope to use that knowledge to connect with and help the Indigenous LGBTQ+ community.
“I feel that it's getting better, but it's not there yet to actually feel 100% safe,” said Navi Ho.
In the Diné Marriage Act passed in 2005, it explicitly states that “marriage between persons of the same sex is void and prohibited,” and the purpose is “to promote strong families and to preserve and strengthen family values.”
Many advocates and tribal leaders are fighting for a change. In mid-2023, Navajo Nation Council Delegate Seth Damon introduced legislation that would repeal the tribal nation’s ban on same-sex marriages. The legislative process is still ongoing.
Toward the end of the Diné Pride celebration, it started to drizzle and shortly afterward, a rainbow appeared in the sky.
Navi Ho turned around, looked at the rainbow in amazement, and said, “In some of the Navajo teachings, when it rains, it brings blessings, it brings purity.”
“The gods, our ancestors were around watching what was happening, and they sent the rain, they sent the beauty. This is just an amazing event.”